The slugging Giants might keep on slugging tonight. The wind, at the moment, is blowing straight out at AT&T Park. The problem of course is that Paul Goldschmidt gets to hit in these conditions too — if it stays this way. Manager Bruce Bochy was asked about the Goldschmidt-Tim Lincecum dilemma before batting practice, and here’s what he had to say:

“I said this with Barry (Bonds) in his heyday — pitchers are sometimes so conscious of not making mistakes that they would. I think that’s the case with Timmy and Goldschmidt.”

After his last start, Lincecum definitely bristled at a question about Goldschmidt, then joked that he would throw it underhanded tonight. We’ll see what the Giants have come up with over the past week. In other pre-game news:

— General manager Brian Sabean said yesterday on CSN that contract talks with Pablo Sandoval have been tabled. On Wednesday, Bochy said he spoke to Sandoval not long ago to make sure the situation wouldn’t be a distraction.

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“He said his agents are handling this and he’s just going to come out and play,” Bochy said. “Your hope is that it doesn’t (become a distraction) but there are times when it does, so they have to understand it’s part of the business of baseball. Both sides have to agree on something and right now that’s not happening.”

The walk year isn’t off to a great start. Sandoval is hitting just .161 but Bochy said he doesn’t think Sandoval is pressing or struggling with his swing. Just the opposite, in fact.

“I like his approach right now,” Bochy said. “He’s seeing pitches and showing discipline up there. He’s a guy that should have better numbers with the hard-hit outs he’s made. He’s swinging better than the (.161) or whatever it is. He’s swinging better than that.”

— Jeremy Affeldt is scheduled to throw for the San Jose Giants tomorrow night and could be activated within a week. As for the other injured Giant, there’s nothing new on Marco Scutaro, and it sounds like there won’t be anything new for quite a while.

— It’s Hunter Pence bobblehead night tonight. If you missed it this spring, this is what it looks like:

I imagine Hunter sending that tweet as he did this. Bochy said he still has some vivid memories from his bobblehead night. “When they had a night for me here, I was nervous,” he said. “If we were losing I thought they might be throwing them at me.”

One last thing on the bobbleheads: I got a sneak peak of the Brandon Crawford one today, and it’s going to be one of the more realistic ones the Giants have ever had. They really captured the hair, which is usually where these projects go off the rails.

At a certain point will Lincecum finally decide to pitch around Goldschmidt?

Doughnut

just getting ridiculous

The Oracle

Insanity. YOU CAN’T GET HIM OUT!

livefreerdi

Lincecum can lay claim as one of the most stubborn, If not the dumbest, pitchers in the game. Never move his feet, Let him dig in, and throw him the only pitch he’s looking for. Are there any coaches on the team? Is Posey paying attention?

StevenAlanMitchell

If I’m not mistaken All of Timmy’s runs have been via the HR

DrLefty

We went back and looked at the pitch a couple times. Not on Buster, who set up way outside. It was all Tim. And I agree–he’s being stubborn and stupid.

Doughnut

yup

livefreerdi

How bad is Arizona? Chavez is hitting 4th. Or maybe that’s how bad Gibson is

Doughnut

strike zone is pretty tight

walt kovacs

timmy should be fined every time he throws a k to goldschmidt

ClutchUp

27 outs fans. Get it out of your system! Vent and say stuff you can’t retract.

StevenAlanMitchell

He’s trying to break up the two lefties, Chavez and Montero for late inning situations against guys like Lopez

walt kovacs

timmy is a stoner

ClutchUp

Wait, its not a finite skill set. He’s not trying to throw it there, but its GOING there.

ClutchUp

How about “going to his hands with his mouth” 4 times = Base on Balls

The Oracle

You can’t deny at this point that Lincecum giving Goldschmidt anything to hit is just dumb.

StevenAlanMitchell

Who would you rather have.

Lincecum for 2 yrs at 35 mil

Arroyo for 2 at 23.5 or 3 for 30

StevenAlanMitchell

Goldy is taking Timmy to the All Star break to pitch him home run derby

blah

Arroyo is mediocre at best…forget the money, you don’t just flush what Timmy has done in this uniform just because he is trying to change the way he now pitches.

StevenAlanMitchell

Mediocre is way above what Timmy has been the last 2 years.

Doughnut

lol

blah

BEAST!!!

Doughnut

Uhhhhhh monsterr

blah

not disagreeing with you there just saying the history earns him a bit more latitude

SurfCity

Actually with disqus, you can retract.

blah

i’ll take that!

The Oracle

With that mustache, Lincecum looks a little bit like Inspector Clouseau.

There is a game going on dammit. Runner on first and we have to watch Amy G

Doughnut

That is a HR at Chase Field with room to spare I believe.

StevenAlanMitchell

Who would you rather listen to?

Runitttttttttt or Amy G

dgg

The game had not started before I left work. Got home, turned on Roku. Saw the score: 3-0. And I thought: Goldschmidt.

channelclemente

So Huff? or Petit?

BALDHEADSLIK1

I’m sorry TL is a very poor pitcher at this stage of his career, poor guy doesn’t give his team a chance to do anything. His last start was ok but this guy is horrible . I’d bet you he would get hit hard in AAA ball.

lolSabean

We’ll be lucky if 55 turns out to be the most expensive reliever ever.

BALDHEADSLIK1

Looking at that silly mustache on TL is making me mad.

lolSabean

Nice call ump

livefreerdi

Lincecum will like the way he threw the ball. Except for the hits

StevenAlanMitchell

Where is Clutch to tell us Timmy is a rock star?

lolSabean

Good question.

BALDHEADSLIK1

Whatever happened to William Van Landingham

SurfCity

Going to take another onslaught from the offense to get this one.

StevenAlanMitchell

I thought of you when Goldschmidt was rounding the bases.

The Oracle

Newman!

Bapah

After writing for a few minutes, I’ll choose only to say, you mean strikes, not Ks

Bapah

and….

The Oracle

I’m not giving up on Lincecum yet, but it would be tough to try to replace two ineffective starters.

StevenAlanMitchell

That’s about the best you could hope for from Pence.

TrainWreck

Good to see that Stinky Timmy is in form tonight.

DrLefty

I count two effective ones so far. Which two ineffective ones are we replacing?

channelclemente

It’s the time zones.

StevenAlanMitchell

He’s pitching tonight, he is #55

2holehitting

22 Mill for Timmy now 20Mil or something. This guy sucks and has sucked for several years. Why anyone offers $20M for a 4.6 4.3 ERA pitcher who throws meat to Goldshmidt is beyond me,

channelclemente

It’s not your money, why do you care.

2holehitting

Pabo is far more deserving of the money they gave Timmy. Pablo won the Freaking World series and was the most consistent player int he playoffs and series.Pence, he sucked. what he hit 210 for the WS.

2holehitting

working at his night security job.

BALDHEADSLIK1

Nice to chip away but will Timmy pitch well enough to get you back in it?

2holehitting

Pablo 2 for 20 a year

dgg

Thanks, Oracle, for making me laugh. It took me a moment, but I found it, at long last:

“Timmy is Seinfeld,Goldschmidt is Newman… … sees him in the on-deck circle…..GOLDSCHMIDT!!! I have a plan…”

channelclemente

Your wife/girlfriend shut you down or what.

2holehitting

Clearly Timmy did not take my advice and give Goldschmidt some bong hits in exchange for leaving his pitches alone.

channelclemente

They’ll hit for him in the bottom.

StevenAlanMitchell

If you are a baseball fan you want to see Lincecum pitch again to Goldy

StevenAlanMitchell

LOL

lolSabean

Nice call Boch

StevenAlanMitchell

The game will be over by then

BALDHEADSLIK1

The new Zito folks Tim Lincecum, up next Ryan Vogelsong

thefarnz

So far Timmy’s plan to pitch to contact is working out fine.

2holehitting

Because they gave the money to a washed up Pot head with poor conditioning instead of giving it to a reliable money ball hitter.

channelclemente

Again, it cost you nothing and from what I read you’re not even a Giants fan.

2holehitting

Let Timmy smoke, he pitches better when stoned. That is where his muscle memory was developed was it not?

livefreerdi

Is that a serious question? It should be obvious the money they spent on Lincecum could have been spent elsewhere, thus the decision is rightfully open to debate. Unless you think the budget is unlimited

channelclemente

It’s not your money. You have no idea what could have been, at all.

BALDHEADSLIK1

One good thing about tonight’s game is that I get to hit the sack a little earlier, THANKS Tim

livefreerdi

Maybe the smoking is why he has had a new record collapse from stardom

2holehitting

Timmy needs a medical marijuana card. He can tell his doctor his kneck hurts from turning to watch another Goldshmidt bomb.

MLBSF

I just logged in and haven’t read any other posts, but hopefully there are plenty of comments about how right I was.

I mean what a disgrace. Honestly. It’s bad enough that Lincecum is absolutely god-awful in general, but that fact that he gave up ANOTHER homer to Goldschmidt is beyond belief. It’s so stupid there are no words for it.

THANK GOD Bochy didn’t listen to dgg. Thank God. smh

TrainWreck

Some things are sure in life: death, taxes, and Timmy being the worst pitcher in the league AGAIN. Thanks for the memories, Timmy. They’re all we have now.

StevenAlanMitchell

LOL

2holehitting

2 year contract becomes the re-ocuring nightmare

Mahmoot Chang

You gotta love that Aubrey Pence, dontcha?

livefreerdi

Tim deserved to face Goldy one more time. With the game blown, doesn’t he need to practice the knuckler?

BALDHEADSLIK1

Heavy eye lids, time to catch some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s if they come back and win I’ll catch the highlights in the am with Dave Feldman and the kid. Another thing whenever I go to. Gs game I definitely make sure it’s a non Lincecum start.

MLBSF

Because it ties up the payroll bonehead.
The Giants aren’t the Dodgers. There is a BUDGET

BALDHEADSLIK1

You made me laugh with that one.

MLBSF

This dude works for the Giants publicity/season ticket renewal marketing dept. so he gets paid to defend the Giants and spin anything negative.
It’s brainless babble.

StevenAlanMitchell

Or at least we deserved to watch in one more time

BALDHEADSLIK1

2015 3rd baseman Buster Posey.

StevenAlanMitchell

Be careful. She will say you are harassing her

MLBSF

It is funny how the entire group of pollyannas has disappeared. They must be huddled drafting talking points.

winebaroness27

depends maybe on how Susac progresses at AAA??

StevenAlanMitchell

They will come up with something like Timmy only walked 1 in 4 innings

Chris

The WORST signing of the entire offseason was Giants resigning Timmy 90 mph poor control overrated, 5+ERA was once good but now sux Lincecum. All that signing was about was marketing. First start was awful this one tonight was a total stink job. Dodgers don’t do anything like that (i.e. sign crappy washed up players because they were once good 4 years ago). All I want to hear for Timmy’s next start is who is making it instead of him.

MLBSF

LOOOOOOOOOOL! smh

Chris

Imagine – the Giants paid this skinny no control 90 mph has been $40 million to stink 2 more years. AS if 2012 regular season and 2013 from him were not ample proof that HE’S WASHED UP. Noooo – sign this dude up at primo salaries for 2 more years. I guess the Giants HAVE to have a Zito like pitcher clogging up and stinking up the rotation.

Chris

Can I stink at my job in 2012 and 2013 and then go to my employer and demand based on some great results prior to 2012 that they pay me top dollar for the next 2 years??? If this makes sense to anyone – you must have voted for Oweblamo.

Doughnut

What was that about? Petit gave him the business after the K like Parra deserved it for something. Did he celebrate too hard after the HR

Chris

It’s MY team and that’s why I didn’t and don’t want Lincecum on the team any more. Huff was a hero in 2010 too – should he be signed up for 2 more years b/c he was once good???

StevenAlanMitchell

They were speaking Spanish. Parra said devolver Lincecum.

It means bring back Lincecum.

thefarnz

No, Chris you probably wouldn’t get top dollar for after those 2 yrs, but prior to that did you get the equivalent of 2 CY’s or help win 2 WS?

Chris

There was AMPLE 2 years proof in 2012 and 2013 that Timmy 2014 was going to be God awful and 2 starts in, everyone but polyannas like you are proven right. Giants could get better results from a AA pitcher or Petit or Huff or really anyone at this point.

Sandoval helped win 2 WS too and won a WS MVP – did he get a $20M / year paycheck like Timmy? How about Cain – oops he did and is sucking too. In MLB you die if you aren’t paying players for present day and near future value. Giants paying Timmy like he’s in 2010 or 11, and they are dying in his starts. He sux!

SurfCity

Sorry cc, but that is an utter nonsense answer.

The Giants have limited funds to spend. How they are spent is important. Debating how they are spent is a legitimate blog and fan topic.

StevenAlanMitchell

Would the Giants have paid Timmy if he wasn’t white?

Public_Service_forthe_Ignorati

A overarching flaw in your argument is that in the near term the Giants are not under any type of budget constraint. And Pablo didn’t get market value because he was still under team control (and I’m not implying Timmy is being paid at his market value, BTW).

thefarnz

What??

Chris

Time to get really tough on Mr. Lincecum. Tell him he’s in the bullpen by May if he doesn’t stop getting neck whiplash form the opposing hitters scalding his pitches all over the yard. He’s embarrassing himself.

SurfCity

No, and either do you. The point is: fans can discuss GM decisions. It is fair ground and interesting blog fodder.

To dig in the way you are on this matter is nothing short of petulant.

DrLefty

OK, that was funny.

livefreerdi

0 for the season .. needs to get on base … you think Blanco thought for a second about bunting? That he wasn’t spending all spring practicing a skill he sorely needs is an indictment.

The Oracle

A reliever with a WIP of about 1.5 is not yet “off to a good start,” Mike.

livefreerdi

No one else is dumb enough to keep throwing fastballs with nothing on it

StevenAlanMitchell

Carlos Beltran sent packing. Sabean tells Pablo he ain’t getting paid. What do Posey, Cain, Pence, and Lincecum have in common?

2holehitting

Better to admit rebuilding now than going for the Gold with Big time Timmy.

2holehitting

Can you get an F- ? That would be da Freaks performance once again.

thefarnz

While we all would love to the very best player at every position, its not feasible. MLB is an entertainment business. Timmy puts butts in seats, sells merchandise, etc. And who knows the season is long and he ‘could’ turn things around. I prefer to ‘root’ for the team that is currently in on the field/dugout and hope for the best. It is a GAME after all.

2holehitting

He is not dumb he just throws medium balls down the middle

SurfCity

Another flaw in your argument is that feasibility had nothing to do with the Lincecum signing.

thefarnz

It might have considering the availability of FA’s on the market, no?

2holehitting

You missed Rowand and Huff and Zito and Cain….. Name 1 player of color besides Bonds that Sabean signed at $40M+ deal?

MLBSF

No but in all honesty, they signed him for marketing purposes. Case in point, dgg.

She thought Lincecum should start the home opener for sentimental purposes ahead of Hudson who OWNS Arizona.

That illustrates the devotion to this guy by a hard core group of fans…that they would rather have Lincecum (who is awful) start ahead of a pitcher who dominates the D-Backs,

And I’m not trying to pile on dgg who is i’m sure a very nice person and a great Giants fans. But it perfectly illustrates exactly why the Giants signed him. He is a fan-favorite and people still are anxious to pay to watch him for some reason. Although that could be changing if his ERA continues to balloon above a ridiculous 10.00

paul in p.v.

Snorkel has watched the whole debacle, but just got online in time to see the blog blobs are back, like slime coming out of the swamp. Check back later after the rally.

My dad just said it looks like Pablo is getting fat again. LOL
It sure looks like it. Unbelievable. smh

StevenAlanMitchell

You didn’t include the minor leaguer starting in SF today.

4IP, 7R

livefreerdi

Dammit … they roll out Collmenter early, they’re inviting you to get back in game. Lets not turn down the invitation

StevenAlanMitchell

He watched Sabean’s interview with Koz and went on a McDonalds binge. He got one of everything.

Chris

How about some honesty from the dwindling # of Tim Lincecum supporters. You like the guy, want to smoke weed with him, play poker with him – hey that’s great. Meet up with him and watch a game together. But his days of being even an occasionally effective MLB pitcher are over. Timmy was paid handsomely in 2012 and 2013 for his pre 2012 contributions. Why Joe Cool Sabean and Larry Garlic Fries Baer decided to pony up another $40M for the 5+ ERA weed toker is beyond any sane fan of the Giants who wants them to win!

Chris

Winning another division, pennant, and/or World Series will put a lot more butts in seats and sell merchandise than watching a has-been once good weed smoker throw his 88 mph meatball sandwiches at opposing hitters.

StevenAlanMitchell

Sabean’s motto: if you’re white, you’re alright. If you’re brown get out of town.

SurfCity

lol, a sux not dumb defense!

thefarnz

Thanks for your opinions

StevenAlanMitchell

Off day 14. 15th is Dodgers. Does Timmy pitch?

thefarnz

Well, he is white, isn’t he?

SurfCity

Wow! This game is bad enough that the minor league report comes out before it’s over!

StevenAlanMitchell

Ugh, they’re all white.

livefreerdi

Almost 40% of challenges overturned. Should surprise no one. Right on what other analyses have revealed .. MLB umps aren’t very good

MLBSF

NOT the pen
*Cue the Mariachi Band*

MLBSF

I disagree. Only an idiot would allow someone to keep embarrassing them like that. I don’t get it.

StevenAlanMitchell

The H’s weren’t mediocre tonight, although the game was over before they got the ball.

MLBSF

lol. Let’s be honest. Your Cubs are as big of, if not a bigger disgrace.

AlOha44

“Dodgers don’t do anything like that (i.e. sign crappy washed up players because they were once good 4 years ago).”

Hmmmm, ever look at the Dodgers’ FA signings of Jason Schmidt or Josh Beckett. For the amount of money spent and returns on investments, I think these two qualify.

StevenAlanMitchell

Pic of the day:

Dodgerblue

18 million a year for a washed up pitcher which an era of over.5 in the past two years. LOL only Sabean just like Colletti getting Boston’s trash 250 million down the drain.

Foothills Ryan

Thanks Vegas! My favorite one-stop shop. Some good things in there. Lancaster must be a rough place to pitch in. Just put a hangman’s noose out on the mound. A win for Fresno is cause for celebration!

MLBSF

LOL @ the H’s.
Well it’s a lot easier to pitch with this score than it is under pressure in a tight game.

StevenAlanMitchell

Krukow blaming loss on lack of 2 out base hits. Hilarious.

livefreerdi

Well … about 5 more of them would have done the trick especially HRs

South City Jim

Pagan?

Vegas Giants Fan*

Nice to see Arroyo get a few hits. He and Ryder Jones are off to a slow start. (not unexpected) Law closed out the game at Richmond tonight. Hall did the job yesterday with a save in the first game of the double header. Blach with a strong 6 innings at Bowie for the win. Delfino all the offense for San Jose with 2 HR’s and 4 RBI’s. Duvall with a HR and 4 RBI’s for Fresno. I read yesterday that the Giants have broken off talks with Sandoval, per Sabean. Sides too far apart. Duvall’s progress will be important to follow. How he does could be key in Giants decision with Sandoval. We’ll see. Duffy played second base at Long Beach St. Giants have options. Got to go. Talk to you tomorrow night.

Go Giants.

livefreerdi

He’s getting cheaper, No doubt

walt kovacs

game has become too fast for most

and many need to be forcibly retired

prob is, the ones coming up, aint much better

walt kovacs

law will be up long before stretch run

walt kovacs

cant have an sp who is too arrogant to know his limitations

timmy is a huge prob

made even larger by the mistake of trading wheeler

Mahmoot Chang

Is it too soon to bench Aubrey Pence yet?

Vegas Giants Fan*

They’re taking it nice and easy with Hall and Law at Richmond. Bandilla and Osich are getting most of the work out of the pen.

livefreerdi

Ausmus proving himself to be just another push button manager. Passive in last night’s loss to LA. Tonight the closer, who admitted to a radio audience he has a tired arm, comes in with a 3-run lead … allows the first 4 to reach base, and it doesn’t matter. Nathan is left in to blow the save. The Dodgers are fortunate that Ausmus was willing to lose a game to prove a point.

dgg

“I’m not trying to pile on dgg, but…”

It’s the “yeah, but” that always counts.

I did NOT think Tim should start the home opener for sentimental purposes. You are attributing thoughts to me that I never said, and never thought. That wasn’t the reason. I was thinking of what I know about teams, in the military and professionally, and it’s not the new guy who walks in and becomes the squad leader. I was wrong about who should start the home opener. Tim Hudson was spectacular! Tim Lincecum, as we saw tonight, was not ready.

I live way up near Canada. I first noticed Tim when he was pitching for the Washington Huskies. I saw him pitch up here. I’ve been a Giants fan all my life. I was really happy when the Giants drafted Tim. So I’ve followed his career since he was a college kid. I’m rooting for Tim to make the transition from power pitcher to precision pitcher, but not at the expense of the Giants losing too many more games.

My avatar comes from Tim’s no-hitter last year. It’s my way of holding onto hope that he can make the transition. Tim had no walks and threw 72% strikes in his last game. I still think there’s reason to hope.

South City Jim

Yeah, saw that. If the Bums win starts by Beckett, that’s like winning two games.

Doughnut

It should be even more. Some of the challenges they decided not to overturn are a mockery.

Doughnut

Victor Martinez takes Kenley Jansen deep in extras. Pretty amazing that guy. He threw out Dee Gordon earlier in the game on steal. How old is he now?

Dodgerblue

What limitations? Cant the Giants fans just get it. He is done and washed up. Nobody lasts forever only that with Lincecum he had a very short but productive career and thanks to genius Sabes gets 40 million for putting up an era of over 5 the past two years. LOL

South City Jim

I guess Tim Kawakami said that Green deserves as many minutes at power forward as David Lee. What an idiot. This is like the guys that said the Celtics were better without Bird the time he was out and they won 8 straight.

DrLefty

Well, he must have learned something by the tenth because he managed the bullpen beautifully. Rookie LOOGY strikes out Gonzo and Ethier; RHP comes in and gets Kemp. Ballgame, Tigers win 7-6!

MLBSF

OK my bad dgg!!!

BALDHEADSLIK1

True

DrLefty

VMart got Jansen the night before, too–two-out hit to tie the game in the ninth.

DrLefty

Looks like Hembree or Dunning would be first up, anyway. They’re both on the 40-man, and Kontos has been horrible so far. It reminds me of Runzler last year–he was upset he didn’t make the big club and then went to Fresno and imploded.

Hembree and Dunning have both done well so far, though.

DrLefty

Counterargument: Lopez and Casilla signed to three-year deals, Wilson given his walking papers.

DrLefty

Renteria got a pretty pricey two-year deal (for the time).

Huff didn’t get $40M, either–it was something like 2/$22.

channelclemente

I think what’s done is done, and whining about it is a waste of time.

StevenAlanMitchell

He said 40+ on purpose since Pagan signed for 40.

StevenAlanMitchell

Well Casilla was under team control and cost less than half of what a second TJ’d Wilson would have.

ClutchUp

Your schtick is same as last season. You have all the answers after the fact.
Smh